Learning of black mold in your house is one of the worst pieces of news you can get. I’ve known friends who spent a great deal of time and money mitigating such issues. Black mold can cause allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and immune system dysfunction. When discovered, you want it gone.

Remarkably, laws given by the Lord to Moses also dealt with mold and mildew. Apparently this formed a constant health issue. After a long explanation of how to determine if a garment remained infected or was now safe, the instructions summed up in this way:

This is the law for a case of leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or the woof, or in any article made of skin, to determine whether it is clean or unclean.

The inspector needed to check the fibers of a garment, the warp and the woof, for evidence of infection. Woof (also called the filling) refers to the threads that crisscross the warp, running at right angles—perpendicular—to them; they interlace among the warp, over and under, over and under.

Today warp and woof has come to mean a basic or essential element or material, the underpinning of a plan or idea. The nitty-gritty. The mortar that holds everything together.

The Lord insisted pulling at the warp and woof in order to discover potential health hazards. Mold seeps into the tiniest crevices, where it multiplies until it causes harm. For the Hebrews, if the garment could not be washed cleaned, it was to be burned far away from their camp.

These warnings flow easily to me. I should pay attention to the details of how I’m choosing to live. Poor habits may seem inconsequential, yet they settle into the fabric and structure of my life. Before I realize it, I’m infected. It takes a great deal of effort to wash myself clean, to break the influence of the dank, moldering ideas rooted in my life. I need the scouring action of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures.

The Lord concerns Himself with the threads of life. Hopefully, a regular inspection of my warp and woof lays hold of the world’s mold and mildew before it sets in too deep.

Leviticus 13

Photo by engin akyurt